Vibey new wine & cocktail lounge Temper is perfect for indecisive drinkers

Located at Mondrian Singapore Duxton, Temper by the Ebb & Flow Group has been drawing crowds since it opened in late-August.

In fact, the vibey wine and cocktail lounge, decked out in warm tones and dim mood lighting, has even seen the likes of Formula One driver Yuki Tsunoda and Blackpink’s Lisa walk through its doors.

But just what’s drawing people in?

So named as “every moment (at Temper) is tempered to feeling”, Temper is well-suited for any occasion and for any type of imbiber.

You want wine? There are over 2,100 bottles from 1,200 labels, spanning 30 countries — of which 250 bottles are available by the glass — all curated by Roberto Duran, wine director of Temper, formerly head sommelier at 67 Pall Mall. 

And lest you wonder if there’s a menu big enough to contain all of those labels — here’s the fun bit: You get to browse them, rather handily, on a tablet that allows you to filter and search for your desired wines by criteria, such as type and region.

Cocktails? There’s a selection crafted by none other than Korean native June Baek, of Hup San Social Club, together with Temper’s head bartender Kishan. 

The food, too, is just as robust, with fresh seafood, snacks, small and large plates, sides, and desserts. You’ll find something to have, whether you’re there for dinner, post-meal, or even for a night cap. 

But beyond its menu offerings, the space is where it truly impresses.

Taking over the space where Ebb & Flow’s previous concepts Tribal and Slate used to stand, Temper covers a staggering 4,000 sqft, with kitchen counter seats, cosy booths, as well as bar seating, across two floors.

The vibe of your visit truly changes depending on where you sit. The upper floor, for example, is more food and wine focused, owing to its proximity to the wine room and the kitchen, while the lower one lets you take a closer look at drinks being doled out, and the DJ booth.

Exploring Temper’s menu

Temper’s culinary offerings are woven together by chef-owner of Michelin-starred Willow, executive chef Nicolas Tam, and Temper’s head chef Ronald Sim. Some might recall chef Ronald from his time at Burnt Ends and Candlenut.

If you’re there for a full-on meal, you’d do well to start with its impressive seafood platter, offered in two sizes: Petit (for two, S$138) or Grand (for four, S$245). 

Depending on your size of choice, it comes with two or three tiers of oysters, shrimp, Dungeness crab, mussels, and two types of crudo. The Grand has the same selection of items, just a bigger portion size, or as they say, “made to feast”. 

But if you’re being conservative to save stomach space for the rest of the menu, starting with its fresh oysters (S$7.50 a piece) isn’t too bad a choice. 

Of its small plates, there were a few that left lasting impressions since we first tried them at Temper’s pre-opening party.

Notably, the Temper burger (S$35) and the crispy chicken drumsticks (S$18 for two pieces) were the ones we would order again and again. 

The Temper burger features a wagyu-blend patty, topped with cheddar, pickles, drizzled with a housemade special sauce, and served with a side of fries. 

Here, the juicy and nicely browned double patties are a nice contrast against the soft burger buns, with nothing too cloying or greasy.

The chicken drumsticks follow that trajectory — it’s got a good amount of crisp on its skin, which is lightly dusted with tangy (or “zabb” as you would call it in Thailand) chilli-lime powder, and incredibly moist flesh. 

By now, it’s clear Temper excels at its seafood, so it wasn’t any surprise to us that the turbot (S$95 for 900g) fared well on taste and freshness. 

The whole turbot comes slightly crisped, glazed with pil-pil sauce, an emulsion made from the collagen from fish skin and its juices. 

If you’re still hungry, Temper also has pasta and hefty proteins on its menu, such as the spicy rigatoni (S$32), with minced lamb sausage chunks in marinara, but I’d say: Save the space for the desserts and cocktails. 

Despite having just returned from Macau — land of delicious Portuguese egg tarts — recently, the pastel de nata (Portuguese egg custard tart, S$6 a piece) still managed to impress. 

The pastry is buttery, has just the right level of flakiness, and comes with an egg custard that’s as eggy as it is creamy. If we weren’t so stuffed, I’d have easily downed half a dozen of them. 

I’m not sure if it was because the egg tart had set the standard, but the coffee tres leche (S$12) felt a bit more forgettable.

That said, tres leche isn’t as common a dessert here, yet, and it’s worth a try especially if you love the Latin American sponge-cake dessert.

Cocktails, with a touch of Duxton

If you’re not fussed by when you have your cocktails, we recommend grabbing wine with your meal, and having your cocktails before or after that, so you can move across the floors (if there’s seating available).

The drinks — some signatures, some inspired by the surrounding Duxton neighbourhood — are uncomplicated and easy-to-drink.

The Jinrikisha (S$25), named after the nearby, now-defunct Jinrikisha Station which used to be a depot for rickshaws, is a tequila number with togarashi, pineapple, and a touch of sesame. 

There’s even a Kaws (S$25) PX sherry cocktail fashioned after the 6m-tall Kaws sculpture at Mondrian Singapore Duxton, bearing the character’s iconic “XX” feature — a nod to the area’s evolution into a modern arts hub. 

Other tipples we enjoyed included the TTK Old Fashioned (S$26), a take on the classic stiff whisky drink, washed with peanut butter, imbued with toasted sesame, cacao bitters, and coconut smoke.

If you find the taste somewhat familiar, it’s a take on the well-loved steamed coconut cake, tutu kueh. 

The Big Apple (S$25) is also a good go-between, where rye and apple whiskies, with cinnamon, lemon and a scoop of housemade sangria granita, give you a cocktail with a touch of red. 

Whatever your choice — wine, cocktails, or just food — you can be certain that no one night out at the multi-faceted Temper at Duxton will be the same. 

No need to temper your expectations, that’s for sure.

For more places to explore, check out the newly relocated Puffy Bois and its delicious pizza and cocktails, as well as Butter Tgt, a cosy cafe at Duxton.